Get your home ready during National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s theme for this year’s is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” You can find more information on their website at Ready.gov.

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas also wants to ensure you to have the resources you need to prepare for natural disasters in your area.

Every year, the greater Houston area prepares for possible hurricane and tropical storm damage, but if you have not yet been affected by storm damage, you should still prepare in case of future disasters. Preparing in advance can also help you to avoid scams.

The Better Business Bureau offers simple steps that homeowners can take to reduce the impact of natural disasters:

• Discuss your emergency plan with your family. Put together a plan by discussing four different questions with your family, friends or household to begin your emergency plan. Discuss:

(1) how you will receive emergency alerts and warnings,

(2) what your shelter plan is,

(3) your evacuation route, and

(4) the household communication plan. Designate a “safe place” inside if you need to take shelter and a meeting place outside in case you need to evacuate.

• Check your insurance coverage. Insurance is your first line of defense, which is why you should check your insurance coverage, and review your policy. It’s important to also obtain property, health and life insurance, as well as flood insurance, and review your existing policies for the amount and extent of coverage to ensure what you have in place is enough. You will need insurance information on hand should you face storm damage or have a medical issue during or after the storm. Also, keep electronic versions available.

• Prepare an emergency kit. In the kit, you should keep a change of clothes, weather appropriate footwear, flashlight, water, and battery or crankoperated radio to monitor the weather without electricity. Keep medicines together in a waterproof container. Make a list of the medicines you take, especially if you have several prescriptions.

• Properly anchor fuel and propane tanks. If you use these tanks, it is important to take this step, so they don’t float away in case of flooding. Also, ensure you keep your fuel levels full ahead of storms.

• Take pictures/video of your home in advance. If your home is impacted by a storm, you can then use these photos as a point of reference in the event of an emergency, to help show the loss or damage incurred.

• Back up critical digital files on a portable external hard drive. Backing up data will protect your pertinent information, photos, etc. in case of damage to your home computers. Store the back-up in a safe location.

• Collect family photos and other mementos. Ensure these items are in a centralized and easily accessible area, preferably in a watertight container.

• Check out any businesses in advance. Following a disaster, if you experienced storm damage, you may need to hire a business to help with repairs. To avoid scams, it is a good idea to take some time to research a few companies first, even before a storm. Check with the BBB at BBBHouston.org to read customer complaints and reviews on various companies before you hire them.

The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit for honest business behavior. Visit www.bbbhouston.org or call 713-868-9500. Leah Napoliello is senior director of Investigative Services with the BBB of Greater Houston and South Texas. Send questions to Leah Napoliello, Better Business Bureau, 1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77027, or e-mail lnapoliello@bbbhou.org with mailing address and phone number.